Skinning and cutting tool.



SKINNING AND CUTTING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1909.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

en STATES FAIENT onion.

CHARLES EDWARD WALLDER, 0F HAWTHORN, AND HARRY MOSS ASHTON, OF COBURG, VIC'LURIA, AUSTRALIA.

SKINNING AND CUTTING TOOL.

Application filed July 12, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES EDWARD Vermont: and HARRY Moss AsHToN, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing, re spectively, at No. 414; Burwood road, Hawthorn, and at (doburg, in the State of Victoria, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skinning and Cutting Tools; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has been devised to provide improvements on that class of instrument or tool as patented by us in the Commonwealth of Australia, numbered 12812 and dated the 19th day of October 1908, and in Great Britain numbered 21,089, and dated the 23d day of September, 1907. In such patent the head of the instrument is provided with an outer guard cheek between which said outer cheek and a somewhat corresponding back plate a knife revolves, and we have found by practice that the rigidity of the said outer guard plate causes a drag or delay when the instrument is pushed for ward between the skin and body of the animal. We have moreover found by experiment that owing to the wearing down of the edge of the knife it has been necessary to invent means embodying adjustable blades.

In order that our invention may be the more easily understood, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a skinning or cutting instrument showing the outer revoluble plate, hereinbefore referred to, and the adjustable knives behind same. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same instrument the top portion being partly in section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the instrument with the outer guard plate removed and showing the knives in position. Fig. 4 shows the disk and the cutting knives when removed from the instrument. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show the means for holding the revoluble outer guard in position, while Fig. 8 illustrates another form of adjustable knives which can be used as an alternative to those shown in the preceding Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 4.

In these drawings a is the handle of the instrument, the latter being so shaped as to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Serial No. 507,113.

fit the palm of the hand and which may contain grooves or lugged projections to enable the thumb and fingers to hold it more securely.

Z) are screws for securing the back and front plates respectively to a.

c is the back plate of the instrument, (Z being the front plate thereof; the plate (Z is provided preferably with slotted openings 6 to enable it to be easilyput in and taken out of place.

6 is the driving shaft, which receives its motion from flexible shafting, such as is used in connection with machine sheep shears; this, by means of bevel gears f and g revolves a spindle 12. (which may run in ball bearings) and on which the improved form of cutting device, embodying adjustable knives, is mounted. The knives c' are set in and secured to a disk 76 which latter has preferably a square perforation through which the spindle it passes, the disk being kept in position by the nut Z upon the said shaft or spindle it.

It will be seen that the knives z are held on is by screws 2" and i which exert a pressure on a plate 2 and it will be seen that the blades 2' are in sunken recesses m, so that if it be desired to set a blade at its true radial distance, the screw 2' is loosened, the blade 2' moved to its proper cutting line and the screw 2' again tightened. It will thus be seen that the blades, or any one of them can be quickly removed and replaced from time to time when it is desired to sharpen them. Alternatively we employ circular blades 79 (see Fig. 8) each of which are disks of steel and the periphery of each, being sharpened, will act as cutters when held from revolving by the screw g. lVhen the edge wears down (below the true cutting circle) the screw q is loosened and the blade 29 moved slightly around so as to bring an unworn portion in place thereof and the screw 9 again tightened as before.

a is the outer guard plate hereinbefore referred to and is capable of being revolved by a moving pressure being applied to either side of it, (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2). Its edge is preferably serrated to act as a comb or guide when the instrument is cutting and at the same time forms a guard for the revolving knife; it is mounted upon an axis formed of a flanged disk 0 (see Fig. 7 the latter being secured to the inner side of the outer plate (Z by three screws d. The said plate 97, also contains internal grooves or cutaway portions n to allow for the projections of the parts and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show in detail respectively the outer plate (Z, revoluble guard n and flanged disk 0, which latter contains the perforations d to receive the said screws cl.

On glancing at Fig. 1 it will be seen that, in operation, when the hand grasps the handle a and pushes the instrument forward in a slicing or curving manner, from left to right, the guard plate a will wholly, or partly, revolve toward the left while the back portion will be sliding toward the right and that therefore little or no obstruction to the progress of the instrument will be caused by friction when working in the fell between the skin and body of the carcass.

e claim 1. In a skinning and cutting tool and in combination, a handle, a head-piece, a holding-device, means for mounting said holding-device in the said head-piece, means for revolving the said holding-device, a series of cutting instruments adjustably secured in said holding-device, an outer guard-plate rcvolubly mounted exteriorly ot' the said holding-device, and a front-plate comprising a bearing for the said outer guard-plate to revolve upon.

2. In a skinning and cutting tool and in combination, a handle, a shafting adapted to revolve Within the said handle, a headpiece secured to the said handle, a spindle journaled in said head-piece, beveled pinions adapted to mesh with one another and mounted respectively on the said shafting and said spindle, a holding-device mounted on said spindle, a series of knives adjustably secured to said holding device, an outer guard-plate provided at its periphery with serrations and a front-plate comprising a bearing upon which the said guard-plate is revoluble.

3. In a skinning and cutting tool and in combination, a handle, a shafting adapted to revolve within the said handle, a headpiece secured to the said handle, a spindle journaled in said head-piece, beveled pinicns adapted to mesh with one another and mounted respectively on the said shatting and said spindle, a holding-device mounted on said spindle, a series of circular knives circularly arranged on said. holding-device, screws by which the said circular knives are secured in position and by means of which the same are capable of being adjusted, an outer guard platc provided at its periphery with serrations, and a front plate compris ing a bearing upon which the said guard plate is revoluble.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES EDWARD WALLDER HARRY MOSS ASHTON. Witnesses Anon HARKER, REGINALD ALFRED TURNER. 

